Clutch and clutch-actuated mechanism.



Patented Aug. 29,v |899.

No. sslal.

G. .8'. STRONG.

CLUTCH- AND CLUTCH ACTUATED MECHANISM.

(Application Bled Dec. 7, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

' Patented Aug.. 29, |899.

G. S. STRONG. CLUTCH AND CLUTCH ACTUTED MECHANISM.

(Application led Dec, 7, 1898.)

(N0 Model.)

Pff"

ww? @Y No. 63|,83L Patented Aug. 29, |899.

G. S. STRONG. CLUTCH AND CLUTCH ACTUATED MECHANISM', (Application ed Dec 7, 159s (No Modal.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

. UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. STRONGLOF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO JOHN P. MURPHY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

' SPECIFICATION frming part of Letters ratent No. 631,831, dated August 29, 1899).

y Application tied Detente 7,1895. .serial No. 698,514. dit man.)

To all whom t may concern: v

Be it known that I, GEORGE S, STRONG, a citizen of thevUnited States of America, residing in the city, county, and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutch and Clutch-Actu-' ated Mechanism, of Whichthe following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention -relates to theconstruction of clutches and of mechanism 'whereby the action of the clutch is transmitted to a shaft or shafts.

The object of my invention is to improve the clutch and mechanism connected there-l with in various details, rendering it more effective and more` easily manageable.

The nature of my improvements will be best understood as described in connection with the drawings, in which they are illus? trated and in which-"- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section` through a clutch and its connections constructedin accordance with my improve-y ments and as shown especially designed and adapted for imparting motion to the driving-- Wheels of an automobile vehicle, the section beingtaken as on the line l 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view of the clutch viewed from the right of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line tt 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view of the roller-cage shown in cen-` tral transverse section. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the cage-actuating feather and its connecting-ring, the ring being shown as on the section-line 6 6 of Fig. 3. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are transverse sections through the clutch, showing the progressivel action of the cagein shifting the clutchfrollers; and Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the detailed construction of the clutch-drum.

A, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, illustrates a portion of the running-gear of the automobile Wagon in connection with which my improved clutch is used.

Q and Q are connecting-rods, given a reciprocating movement bya motor (not shown) carried on the running-gear, the said rods v being moved simultaneouslyin thel same direction by connecting both, for instance, With a crank-pin and being connected` at their other ends, as shown, with lever-arms Q2 Q2, extending the one upward and the other downvvard from 'clutch-rings Q3 and Q4, which', as shown, (see Fig.' 1,) are provided With inner cylindrical linings git/14, preferably formed of hardened steel. y

1 q2A q2 are counterbalances arranged on each clutch-ring opposite to its arm Q2. y

Q5 Q5 (seeFig. 1) are packing-rings. I

- Q6 is a clutch-roller cage formed with a se- I ries of chambers Q8, correspondingwith the bers being somewhat greater in Width than the diameter ofthe rollers used in connection with the cage and being equal in length to the length of the rollers and formed with squared ends Q7 to fit against the squared ends of the rollers contained in the chambers, this construction being to prevent the rollers from getting out of parallel With each other.

Q9 Q9 indicate spiral grooves formed in the inner face of the cage, on opposite sides thereof. y

Q10 is the clutch-drum, which is formed With surface facets Q13 Q12 Q12, of which the surface Q13 is cylindrical, concentric, or substantially so, to the center of the drum, While thek surfaces Q12 Q12 extend outward from this cylindrical surface at very obtuse angles. In practice I have made the breadth of the surfaces Q13 one-half of an inch.

on opposite sides of the drum in position to come opposite to the spiral grooves Q9 in the cage.

Q11 Q14 are keys fitting and longitudinally movable in the grooves Q11 and formed on their outer surfaces with spiral keys Q15, f1tting and moving in the spiral grooves Q9 of the cage. These keys are formed or provided secured, as shown, to inWardly-extendinglu gs Q16 ofY an annularly-grooved ring Q1, In the annular groove of this ring portions S' of blocks S, having studs S2 projectingoutwardly from them and pivotally connected with the ends of levers S3 S3, secured to a shaft S4, by

number of facets on the drum, the said cham' Q11-Q11 indicate longitudinal slots formed' with extensions Q11, (see Fig. 6,) which are.

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moving which the ring Q1 and the keys attached to it are moved out or in in the direction and to the extent required.

Q1'1 Q17, duc. are clutch-rollers, one of which is placed in each chamber of the clutch-ring and which are of a diameter somewhat greater, of course, than the thickness of the walls of the cage and such as will make ay quite closeA fit between the cylindrical surfaces Q13 of the drum and the rings Q3 Q4, or rather their inner linings Q3 Q4. In practice I have made the diameter of the rollers about one-eighth of an inch less than the breadth of the chambers in the roller-cage, and, as already stated, I form the rollers with squared ends, which fit neatly against the squared ends of the cagechambers.

It is of course obvious that as the keys Q14 Q14 are moved in or out they will shift the position of the cage to the right or left, as the case may be, moving the rollers over the cylindrical sections Q13 in contact with one or the other of the oblique surfaces Q12, as may be desired. In Fig. 7 I have represented the cage as in its central and non-operative position, in which the rollers are not in contact with either surface Q12 and in which a rotary movement of the ring will simply rotate the rollers without tending to rotate the drum. Owing to the construction which I have described, in which the chambers of the cage are wider than the rollers, those rollers which are on the left of a vertical section-line are one-eighth ofan inch closer to the inclined to the inclined surfaces Q12, extending to the right, than are those on the left-hand side of the line. Assuming now for illustration that the roller-cage is shifted so as to engage the members of the clutch in a direction to drive the drum toward the right, the parts are first brought to the position shown in Fig. S, in which the rollers lying to the right of the central vertical line irst come in contact with the inclines Q12, lying to the right of the surface Q13, while the rollers to the left of the vertical line are still one-eighth of an inch away. The further movement of the cage to the position shown in Fig. 9 simply brings the rollers to theleft of the vertical line into operative position without moving the rollers to the right of the line, as is shown in this figure of the drawings, and by which it is clear that the surfaces of the cage lying in front of or to the right of the rollers is moved awayfrom contact with the rollers, so that there is nothing in front of them to prevent their running forward on the inclined surfaces Q12 to such a degree as may be possiblev for them. In this position any movement of the clutch-ring to the right causes the clutch members to engage and rotate the drum,while any movement to the 'left causes a disen gagement of the clutch members, permitting the ring to mover backwa1d, so to s,peak,'witl1out affecting `-theinovement of thedrum, and this occurs with an almost imperceptible shifting of position of the rollers and in myconstruction practically without any appreciable noise.

Q18 is a shaft upon which the clutch-drum Q10 is in lthe construction shown journaled, and, as shown, the shaft Q12 is hollow and formed to iitover the slightly-conical end Q21 of a solid shaft Q21, extending to the left of the hollow shaft Q12.

Q19 is an annular ring tting on the shaft Q12, as shown, and secured, as by bolts Q19, to the right-hand end of the drum Q10, its outer edge extending beyond the drum and forming, as indicated, a tight joint with the end of the ring Q2. On the other side of the drum Q10 an annular plate is secured, also by bolts 12 this late forming a tight joint with the Q a D left-hand side of the' ring Q4 and having on its outer face projections Q20 to form bearings for the springs, to be hereinafter described.

Q22 Q23 Q24 Q25 is an irregularly-shaped casket which forms with the plate Q21) a box around the abutted portions of the shafts'Q1'S and Q21. From its walls Q22 Q23 extend flanges Q22, (see Fig. 2,) which intel-lock, so to speak, with the anges Q211 of the plate Q20, and between the flanges of the box and plate I secure springs Q26, which may conveniently be made of rubber and by which the plate Q22 and the box are held together.

Secured to the end ofthe shaft Q12, as bya key Q27, is the hub Q27 of a bevel gear-wheel Q22,and secured in the same or any convenient way to the ab'utted portion of the shaft Q21 is the hub Q24 of a bevel gear-wheel Q25.

Q29 and Q30 indicate an annular spider or frame, the portion Q29 of which is secured, as by means of keys Q24, to the portion Q24 of the box and which is formed with openings Q3, in which are placed bevel gear-Wheels Q22, journaled on pins Q32, extending across the openings Q211 and secured on the outside and inside thereof, as indicated at Q22 and Q21. The bevel-wheels Q33 have their teeth engaged on opposite sides with the bevel gear-wheels Q2S and Q25. The arrangement of the gear-wheels coupling the shafts Q21 and Q18 together, as

described, is in its general features a familiar compensating device, by means of which in case of the turning of the vehicles the driving-wheel on the outside is permitted to move,

as it must, on a longer path than the drivingwheel on the inside without disturbing the application of power to either of them. The

function of the springs Q2 is of course to act as an equalizing device between the clutches and the shafts upon which the clutches operate-that is, in my new construction these springs equalize the application of the power to the compensating device through which the power ultimately reaches the drivingaxles, a feature of construction which I believe to be entirely new with me, as is alsol the construction of the plate Q20 and the ir- IOO IIO

regularly-shaped box-casting by which the equalizing and compensating devices described are inclosed and protected from the dirt.

Iform on the box as shown on its section Q22, a brake-drum surface, upon which fits the brake-band, (indicated at M10,) said band being secured at one end to fixed arms m10 and at the other end to a lever M2, by means of which the brake-band can be tightened at will. This feature of construction is of value, because by its means I apply the braking pressure equally to both driving-wheels at all times, the resistance of the brake acting through the comthe pensating device just as does the power of clutches.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A clutch-drum having a series of facets on its face each consisting of a central surface Q12 substantially radial to the center of the drum and lateral surfaces Q12 Q12 forming a very obtuse angle with said central surface in combination with a clutch-ring with a cylindrical inner face, and a series of rollers interposed between the drum and ring and adapted to fit closely between the surfaces Q12 andI the clutch-ring.

2. A clutch-drum having a series of facets on its face each consisting of a central surface Q12 substantially radial to the center of the drum and lateral surfaces Q12 Q12 forming a very obtuse angle with said central surface in combination with a clutch-rin g with a cylindrical inner face, a series of square-ended rollers interposed between the drum and ring and adapted to fit closely between the surfaces Q12 and the clutch-ring, a roller-cage Q6 angularly adjustable on the clutch-drum formed with a series of rectangular chambers Q2 of length equal to the rollers and of breadth somewhat greater than the diameter of the rollers and means for adjusting the cage.

3. The combination with a clutch-drum as Q10 clutch-ring and rollers working between said ring and drum, of a roller-cage situated between the ring and drum, one or more keys uniting the drum and cage having a straight connection with the one and a spiral connection with the other and means for moving said key or keys to shift the angular position of the cage on the drum.

4. The combination with a clutch-drum as Q10 clutch-ring and rollers working between said ring and drum of a roller-cage situated beneath the ring and drum, two keys uniting the drum and cage having a straight connection with the one and a spiral connection with the other, a grooved annular ring secured to extensions of the keys aforesaid and leverarms engaging the groove of said ring for moving it and the keys and thus adjusting l the angular position of the cage on the drum.

5. The combination with intermittentlyacting clutch mechanism of two shafts to be driven thereby, an equalizing mechanism coupling the two shafts as described and whereby they are directly actuated and a yielding connection between the said equalizing device and the intermittently-acting clutch.

6. The combination with intermittentlyacting clutch mechanism of two shafts to be driven thereby arranged concentrically with the clutch, a plate Q20 secured to the clutchdrum and formed with outwardly-extending wings Q20, bevel gear-wheels Q22 and Q25 one secured to each shaft, a casing Q22 Q22 Q24 Q25 forming a close joint with the edge of plate Q20 and inclosing all, the gear-wheels aforesaid said casing having internal wings Q22 arranged to interlock with wings Q20, springs interposed between said wings Q22 and Q20, an annular spider secured on the inside of the casing to afford support to the journals of bevel-wheels Q22 and bevel-wheels Q22 secured in said spider and in engagement with bevels 22 and Q22.

7. The combination with intermittentlyacting clutch mechanism of two shafts to be driven thereby arranged concentrically with the clutch, a plate Q20 secured to the clutchdrum and formed with outwardly-extending wings Q20, bevel gear-wheels Q22 and Q22 one secured to each shaft, a casing Q22 Q22 Q24 Q25 forming a close joint with the edge of plate Q20 and inclosing the gear-wheels aforesaid said casing having internal win gs Q22 arranged to interlock with wings Q20, springs interposed between said wings Q22 and Q20, an annular spider secured on the inside of the casing to afford support to the journals of bevel-wheels Q22, bevel-wheels Q22 secured in said spider and in engagement with bevels Q22 and Q25 and a brake arranged to operate on the casing aforesaid.

S. A clutch-drum having a series of facets on its face in combination with a clutch-ring with a cylindrical inner face, a series of square-ended rollers interposed between the drum and ring, a cylindrical roller-cage Q0 situated between the drum and ring and an gularly adjustable on the clutch-drum,said cage being formed with a series of rectangular chambers Q8 of length equal to the rollers and of breadth somewhat greater than the diam-- eter of the rollers and means for adjusting the cage.

GEORGE S. STRONG.

Witnesses:

CHAs. F. MYERS, D. STEWART.

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